First sinks coalition partners’ plan for fisheries review NZ

[2 December/Stuff] It has been reported that the New Zealand First party has scuppered plans for a panel to be established to provide expert advice to the government on New Zealand’s fishing industry. Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash planned to revitalise the technical advisory panel, which was set up by the National Government to give expert advice on making fishing sustainable long-term. Those plans have now abandoned, a source said – because NZ First doesn’t think the panel is needed, and resisted the appointment of environmental campaigners on the group. Minister Nash said on Thursday the panel was never a high priority for him. The abandonment follows an earlier intervention by NZ First over the panel – Nash had been keen to appoint Environment Defence Society policy director Raewyn Peart to lead the revitalised panel, but had this decision vetoed by NZ First too. Some panel members had already been told of their appointments: they were to include leading conservationist and former Antarctica NZ chairman Sir Rob Fenwick, former Fonterra strategy director Graeme Stuart, former Ngai Tahu chairman Sir Mark Solomon, and Graham Sinclair from recreational fishing group LegaSea. The Coalition Government has also puts plans on hold to mandate cameras on fishing boats due to a lack of political consensus and Greenpeace New Zealand Executive Director, Russell Norman, has suggested that the new government is less aggressive on fisheries management that the previous National led government.